When systems fail mothers |
Yesterday, I sat face-to-face with a mother whose life has been carved by pain, resilience and an endless fight against the system—a system meant to support her, yet one that pushed her into exhaustion at every step.
Her child—born with a disability—did not survive. But her story survived and with it survives a truth many in Pakistan hesitate to confront: our disability support structures are burdened with procedures, but empty of empathy. Her hands trembled not from weakness, but from a deep, unresolved anger at how every point of care—assessment, certification, financial support, rehabilitation—was a battlefield. “I buried my child,” she told me, “but I am not ready to bury my voice.” Her pain has transformed into purpose and she now stands ready to advocate for change.
This mother’s narrative is not an isolated case—it echoes thousands of families across Pakistan who quietly endure bureaucratic delays, disjointed services, unclear pathways and overwhelming emotional stress. As Director of the VIPD Unit, I listen to these stories every day. And each one reinforces the urgency of rethinking disability through the lens of dignity, service integration and human rights. A system designed with good intentions—but built without people: Pakistan........